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ACU historian named chair of History Council of Victoria

Australian historian Professor Nell Musgrove has been appointed chair of the History Council of Victory (HCV).

An expert in Australian history with a special interest in child welfare history and carceral institutions, Professor Musgrove has served on the HCV Board since 2023, actively supporting the Council’s outreach to high school and university history students.

Professor Musgrove said history education was no longer limited to the classroom but evolving into public and online spaces.

“History education might mean the sorts of formal history education that happens in schools and universities, but it can also mean engaging in public events - like some of the public lectures the HCV runs each year - or even just being part of an online community where you can be directed to books and digital resources,” she said.

“Everyone wants to relate to history in different ways, and that's one of the reasons I value the HCV's goal of reaching out as widely as possible into the community to inspire people's interest in the value of history.

“History helps us understand our identities and how our communities came to be shaped the way they are, and the tools that we use to think critically about the past help us ask important questions about the present.”

Professor Musrgove’s own work on Australian child welfare history has produced two major publications examining the harm caused by children’s institutions and foster care. Both works included extensive research using Victorian archival records.

She said she looked forward to supporting the ongoing work of HCV and promoting opportunities to invest in local Victorian history.

“Engaging with history from all times and places is important and valuable, but as an Australian historian, with a special interest in Victorian history, I'm privileged to be part of the HCV which has great connections with a range of people and organisations invested in local Victorian history,” she said.

Professor Musgrove has been Discipline Deputy Head of School (History, Archaeology, and Geography, Environment and Sustainability) within ACU’s National School of Arts and Humanities since 2025.